Little Pink Starfish

Yuan Yuanyuan looked at the image of Yuan in the manga, then picked up a mirror to compare herself again.

Once more, she began to grumble—How the hell is that supposed to look like me? Honestly, how did she even end up being portrayed like this?

The latest chapter depicted the time Yuan Yuanyuan escorted her mentor home. Yuan didn’t even bother complaining anymore about Yaoji’s chaotic timeline. Plot events always popped up in strange orders in the manga. Whatever.

Yuan had mostly been a background character recently—just cameoing in absurd locations. So this sudden, full-length arc featuring Yuan actually made her quite happy.

Even if… the entire story was told secondhand to Ning by someone else.

This was something she thought manga handled better than novels. In novels, secondhand accounts were just text. In manga, you saw the scene, even if it was told through someone else’s mouth.

This time, Ning was continuing his search for a miracle doctor. The one who ignored him last time had already been lured into the masked organization. So now, through underground contacts and secret channels, he found his way to Yuan Yuanyuan’s mentor.

Her mentor was also a renowned doctor—known to treat both demons and Taoists. When Ning tracked her down, the one introducing her was a very old man. The two of them chatted over wine and peanuts.

Ning, anxious about his self-harming method of suppressing his powers, wanted to meet her, but the old man told him it was already too late. Too many people were seeking her, so her family had paid a hefty price to have her brought back home.

Ning, carrying gifts, tried to dig for more info. Maybe he could find the person who had picked her up and go from there. But the old man shook his head. The one hired was too powerful, too famous—he wouldn’t care about whatever Ning had to offer.

Ning kept probing until the old man finally admitted—it was Yuan who had taken the job.

Ning’s heart sank. A black silhouette began to form in his mind.

Still, he couldn’t understand why Yuan would bother with something like this. How much must they have paid him?

Yuan Yuanyuan, reading this part, muttered, Not much… they gave me some money, but honestly, if you paid me I might’ve just taken you to my mentor myself. Use her as a specimen, maybe. Ha! I’d even pay out of pocket…

In the manga, when Ning realized Yuan was the escort, he gave up on his plan and turned his attention to Yuan himself. The old man began recounting the journey, and the perspective shifted from third person to Yuan’s.

In Yuan Yuanyuan’s opinion, her own manga appearances had always been “supporting role” at best. The protagonist was busy making friends and sparring with his sect—he rarely encountered Yuan. Aside from the C City arc and a brief encounter set up by Ji Qiu, this was another rare moment, told from someone else’s account.

From a third-person view, the depiction of Yuan was absurdly cool—especially during the escort. Yuan Yuanyuan had spent those days using her mentor as a walking punching bag, brandishing kitchen knives every few steps.

She stared at the manga. Is this really me?

…Reliable?

Yes. That word suddenly popped into her head—and even she was startled by it.

From an outsider’s perspective, that stoic man in black did seem reliable. If he appeared in someone else’s manga, even she would say so.

But to her, during that time she’d felt like she was constantly on the verge of snapping. It had been full-time burnout with a side of murderous rage.

In the manga, Yuan—quietly smoking inside the carriage—seemed like a strategist in control of everything. The smoke curled lazily out of the window, draping over the scene like fog.

Some guards muttered, “Will he even be useful?”

“Probably. Miss’s decision…”

And Yuan… just kept puffing calmly, expression unreadable, not dignifying anyone with a response.

Damn, Yuan Yuanyuan thought, Was I really that cool?

She didn’t even know people were trash-talking her at the time! Damn it! If she saw that guy again…

Still, the scene had undeniable flair. Even she was a little drawn in. Is it the life-or-death tension that makes someone look cool? Or is it that when I try too hard to be cool, I overdo it—but when I don’t try, I look naturally badass?

She shivered, then reread it.

Yep. Apparently effortless coolness beat deliberate posturing every time. This version of Yuan… even she was starting to fall for him.

There was one scene where an assassination attempt happened. Yuan burst out from the carriage as smoke trailed after him. He moved so fast it stunned everyone.

His eyes—jet black, like ink—showed no emotion at all.

He faced down a giant monster of a demon, who lunged with massive claws. Yuan didn’t hesitate. With an oddly shaped dagger, he lunged straight at the creature.

The panel left readers breathless. Would Yuan stab the demon’s throat first, or would he be impaled?

But what struck Yuan Yuanyuan the most were those pure black eyes—utterly calm.

He did kill the demon. Got a shallow scratch on his neck. Then, quietly, he sheathed the dagger, gently laid the corpse down, and walked calmly back into the carriage. Smoke curled out of the window again.

“Holy crap,” one of the guards whispered. “I really thought we were all dead.”

And from that moment on, whenever something went wrong, everyone looked to the carriage.

At first, there had been doubts. But as time passed, people relaxed. Yuan had proven himself. His calm demeanor—which initially came off as aloof—eventually earned everyone’s trust.

He was that rare thing: a bodyguard you could rely on.

“He sounds… amazing,” Ning muttered, pouring the old man another drink. He could already picture the scene from the old man’s words.

“And that’s why you shouldn’t set your sights on that doctor anymore,” the old man warned. “But I can introduce you to another one.”

Yuan Yuanyuan stared at the calm expression drawn on “her” manga face.

Damn, she thought, With a good-looking face, even “dead inside” eyes become “cool and detached.”

She had only appeared in about a dozen pages this chapter, but she read them over and over again.

All in all, she was… satisfied. Probably only she would reread that segment so obsessively.

Putting the manga aside, she stepped out of her room and saw Fat Cat sitting on the couch, pawing at his phone, clearly looking at that page.

“You’re still reading it?” she asked casually.

“Just look at Yuan. So cool. Too cool,” Fat Cat said, pressing his paw on the screen.

Yuan leaned over and saw he had paused on a panel of Yuan’s profile.

The drawn Yuan peeked out from the carriage, expression calm. The moment he looked, the crowd outside had gone silent.

He didn’t seem to care. Slowly, he turned his head back inside. That serene profile reappeared behind the curtain.

Yuan Yuanyuan sighed.

Fine, she admitted to herself, Even I think he’s cool.